The Power of Two
by Hayden Lucas
Summary: Something has been gnawing at Carly Shay, and it will until she unburdens herself... but it isn't without consequences. The events of THE TRUTH ABOUT CARLY through Sam Puckett's eyes.
1. iStand By You

**iStand By You**

Carly swallowed hard. Sam's heart hurt for her. This had to be horrible – whatever she had to say. Sam knew she could never find the words to tell the world the secret she kept. Carls was a good girl. Nothing could be this bad that her Cupcake got this whipped up.

Carly paused, laboring over her next few words.

"…_and I'm a lesbian…"_

The last word rang in Sam's ears. She couldn't possibly have heard that correctly. There was no way Carls had just said she was, you know, the L word. She couldn't be. The Carly Shay Sam knew loved boys – plenty of them. Her Cupcake dated plenty of nubs and losers before, sure, but if Griffin's Pee-Wee Baby obsession hadn't driven Carly to the Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name, nothing would. Something wasn't right.

The look on Carly's face absolutely broke Sam's heart. Fat tears rolled down Carly's soft cheeks. She was coming apart on the inside, torn apart by the prospect of somehow _'failing'_ her family – something Sam knew all too well. This was completely unacceptable. Carly was too good a person to suffer like this. She wasn't throwing herself in front of a speeding, runaway taco truck, but Sam would've if she'd had to. She did all that she could.

"…_Random Dancing!..."_

"…and we're clear!..." Freddie chimed in.

The speakers went dead and Carly collapsed into Sam, emotionally exhausted. As much as Sam cared for and respected Carly, she had never seen this coming. How could she have? What could she do? She certainly couldn't tell Carly the truth – as much as her heart ached to do so.

"Carls, are you okay?"

Carly gingerly met Sam's gaze. Her eyes glistened with tears. Sam did the only thing in her power to control the situation.

"Benson! Out! NOW!"

Sam felt fucking stupid. Of all the things that she wanted to say, how fucking trite did she sound, asking Carly if she was okay? Of course she wasn't okay… she'd just outted herself live on the internet, to who-knows-how-many people, including who-knew-how-many potential ex-boyfriends. She glared at the Nub. The Nub had better know when to leave well enough alone, or he'd get a broken clavicle for his trouble. Sam's gaze spoke the volumes that her words didn't need to. Her eyes were steely and ice cold. He was her _friend_, sure, but this was different. This was Carly. If he set so much as a toe out of line, he would die, no matter what her twin sister thought of him.

Inside, Freddie Benson was crushed, but, in his heart of hearts, he knew this day was bound to come. Carly never saw him _That Way_, but he was, above all, a gentleman. Gentlemen always knew when to leave. He would live to fight another day.

Sam couldn't believe what had just happened. Everything she thought she knew was coming apart at the seams. She loved Carly – of course she did – but the girl had just taken a flying leap out of a really, really big closet and her entire world was crumbling as a result. When it came down to a choice between Sam and Carly, Carly Shay would always come first.

She knew she had to say _something_, she simply had no idea what. She figured she'd know when she heard the words come out of her mouth.

"What you did tonight was completely insane, Carls, you know that, right?"

Carly sniffled. She'd hoped that – of all people – Sam would understand.

"Carls, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I'm just going to talk right now…" Carly nodded. She wanted to talk – to tell Sam everything. She simply couldn't find the words.

"How long have you known?" Sam asked gently, absentmindedly stroking the hair that fell across Carly's forehead.

"I don't know, I mean, I think I've always known. It's weird. I can't explain it." Carly nuzzled her head into Sam's shoulder. She knew that tonight would be one of those 'milestones' that would always stand out – one of those days she would always recall vividly. Her initial thought, she knew, was a lie.

"No, wait…"Carly backtracked. "That's a lie…"

Sam's face screwed up in confusion, as though Carly'd just asked her to do math. The Cupcake was too sweet. She let her keep talking, albeit briefly. Carly had earned the right to speak her mind, but Sam knew that she had to do the right thing, even if it killed her. She took Carly by the hand, led her to the race car bed that was the focal point of the _iCarly_ studio, and motioned for her to sit. She looked the tearful brunette in the eyes, urging her to continue.

"I've… I've tried to live the way everyone expected. I tried to be what everyone expected me to be, I just couldn't, Sam…"

Sam brushed Carly's cheek again, the brunette's face sticky with tears. She exhaled, attempting to dry Carly's tears with her breath; she swallowed hard to find the courage to ask the question that had seared itself into her brain. This was the Point of No Return.

"Carls, do you have… uh… someone special in your life?"

Carly sniffed back tears. She was hurt Sam would even ask.

Sam Puckett's stomach fell down to her feet. This was worse than anything that had ever happened to her growing up, but she pressed on. If nothing else, living with Pam had taught her that what didn't kill you made you stronger.

"Sam!" Carly snapped. She couldn't believe her ears. It didn't make sense. Carly reconsidered, speaking barely above a whisper now.

"There is…. umm… you know… _someone…"_

Carly swallowed, looking to Sam. She wanted Sam to look at her. She wanted not to feel disgusting inside. If Sam Puckett couldn't accept her, Carly knew it was over.

"There is someone… I… uh…. I want to be with, but … it's _complicated_…"

Sam saw that Carly was near another mini-breakdown. She did what she knew. Carly would always be the most important thing in Sam's world, regardless of whether or not she knew it.

"Listen, Cupcake, I don't know what to tell you except that this chick had better not ever hurt you – if she likes breathing!"

Carly flushed, hugging Sam tightly. She laughed.

Sam's heart hurt to the point of bursting. Even heartbroken, sobbing, and swollen, Carly Shay was beautiful. She knew she needed to let Carly say whatever she felt needed saying.

"You…"

She didn't understand. The Cupcake was obviously beside herself with a mixture of grief and lady hormones. She wasn't talking sense.

"You… Samantha Puckett, I've known and loved you nearly my entire life, even if I've never said it before. I mean, how could I?"

She could hear Carly talking, see her lips moving, but the words didn't register inside her head. It was all gibberish now. She was in shock.

She hadn't intended to, but she dropped Carly's hand, turned, and made a break for it. She was doing the only thing she knew. This was what life with Pam had taught her. When things got too hot, you had to run for your life.

Carly, clearly, for all their years of friendship, didn't understand it. She burst into tears.

"Sam, no! Oh God, fuck, no! Sam please…. "Sam, I'm sorry…"

"Sorry? You're fucking _sorry_? Do you know how many years I've _dreamed_ you'd say those words to me?"

Sam Puckett had just been laid bare. She hadn't meant to, but Carly Shay had cut her to the bone. The blonde's body was reacting before her brain was given time to think about what she was doing. She muttered under her breath, a microsecond of frustration bubbling to the surface before her true nature revealed itself.

"_Dammit, Carls… I mean…_"

"Sam…?"

The blonde badass was broken. She looked to her dearest – her only – friend, her ice blue eyes brimming with tears. She choked before speaking.

"Carlotta Taylor Shay, I have loved you… longed for you… since before I can remember… You are all I've ever wanted. Will you make me the happiest woman in Seattle?"

Sam, finally, had given life to the fantasy that had turned inside her brain since childhood. She was fully prepared for rejection that did not come. Carly reached into Sam's cupped fingers, retrieving Sam's rainbow-colored ring – the unspoken acknowledgement of who Sam was – and slipped it onto her own ring finger, no questions asked. She was at a loss.

"Sam, I…"

"I know, Cupcake… there's plenty of time for that later…"

It amazed them both that they had always had this intuition between them. They both simply _knew._ Sam scrambled to her feet, exhausted at the foot of the race car bed. Her fingers found Carly's instinctively. This was what they needed. Sam let herself fall forward, knowing Carly was strong enough to take on her weight. They both collapsed fully dressed. Sam's blue eyes shut for the night, Carly the final sight they beheld. They were both safe.


	2. iLove

**iLove**

Sam and Carly slept like the dead that night – for a few hours, anyhow. It was saying something that she'd slept through dinner, although Carly was much better than whatever was downstairs in the Shay fridge.

By the time Sam awoke, three hours had passed. The studio was dark, yet warm. The world was still spinning, coming into focus, when she tasted it. It was most definitely piña colada.

Her eyes opened to one very alarmed, very nervous Cupcake.

"Sam, I… I'm sorry… I…"

Sam could read the abject terror on the brunette's face. Carly was terrified at what she'd just done. It broke Sam's heart. She'd seen this look before, usually from kids who thought Sam was about to hit them.

"Sam, I… Oh God… What did I just… Sam…?"

The blonde wound dark, matted, hair gently in her fingers. Carly didn't yet understand, but Sam would be sure that she did, eventually.

"Carls, look… I get it… you still see me as just your crazy, meat-lovin' best friend, but let's be honest… I've dreamed about this happening…"

Carly's face relaxed. She let Sam talk.

"Cupcake, please… I know you've got a lot on your mind'n stuff, but…"

Sam swallowed hard, looking directly through the beautiful brunette.

"Carls, do you trust me?"

Carly Shay's lip quivered. It was a non-answer, but Sam Puckett read into it what she wanted.

"Look, Carls, all you have to say is _'No'_ and I'll stop, okay?"

Sam couldn't shift her weight before she had her answer. It was Carly, sounding more like herself.

"Sam, I don't care… I just… this is… is it supposed to feel like this?"

Sam Puckett was a great many things, though experienced in the ways of love wasn't one of them. She'd never seen the point. She wanted to save herself for the one she really wanted, if at all possible. They were both scared and nervous, but unless one of them acknowledged the elephant in the room – how they felt about one another – nothing would get accomplished. Sam took the initiative to say what they were both thinking.

"Carls, I… damn… I really wanna kiss you right now… You don't hafta kiss me back if you don't want…"

Before Sam could wipe that slippery smirk off of her face, Carly Shay had closed the gap between them, allowing their lips to touch.

"Sam, can I… please?"

"Go ahead, Cupcake..."

Carly hesitated for a second, eliciting a groan of frustration from the blonde.

"…Killin' me here, Shay… You're _freakin'_ killin' me!"

Carly chuckled.

"Sam, I've never…"

"Me either, Carls… it was never right…"

"But you kissed Freddie…"

Sam simply glared at her, gently raising an eyebrow. Carly knew better.

"Not my finest moment, Shay…"

Instinctively, Sam pawed at Carly, wrapping one arm around the brunette's waist. That was all it took.

_**TWO HOURS LATER…**_

Sam broke Carly's embrace. She couldn't have asked for more. Tonight had been amazing, though completely unplanned. All Sam had initially wanted was for Carly to stop crying. They'd slept. Sam had come to to taste Carly's special lip balm – the little Cupcake had kissed her first. It took a second to catch her breath.

"Carls?"

Carly Shay was needy. She'd found something she liked and never wanted to be without it again. This was completely different from Griffin or Jake or any of the random guys she'd dated before. It felt like Sam Puckett was the air she needed to breathe.

"Sam… God… I mean… Wow…"

Sam Puckett smiled, drawing the brunette to her. She felt the same way.

"Yeah, ditto…"

_**EARLY THE NEXT MORNING…**_

"Carls… back to bed, Cupcake…"

"Sam… I hurt…."

It wasn't that Sam was ignoring her new girlfriend, it was just that mornings weren't her thing. She tried in vain to bury her face into the pillow. The words were a butchered mumble.

"I love you too, Sam…"

It took a moment to get her bearings again, but once she did, Sam Puckett wanted to be sick. What she heard made her blood boil. Carly Shay was in tears.

"Carls? What's the matter? Mama's here, Cupcake…"

"My father! "He saw the show. He's _'__disappointed in me__' _and now _Daddy wants to talk!_"

Sam had never seen Carly this way before, not in all the years they'd known one another.

"Oh, Carls… What are you going to do… about him? We don't need to… you know… The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you. I…"

Carly cut her off. Sam let her vent. She knew it was best to just let Carly go. She wasn't about to interrupt, unless it was necessary. Carly was whipped up, but Sam knew better. She shot the brunette a slippery half-smile.

"Oh, and Cupcake… Sorry if I hurt you last night…"

The night before hadn't been painful, per se, it was just beyond what Carly was used to. She was a good girl. Nobody had touched her that way before – ever.

Carly's nose crinkled. Only Sam could know how to lift her spirits in exactly the right way. That was, above all else, what she loved about Sam.

Without warning, Carly's world went fuzzy. Sam had pressed her mouth to Carly's neck, kissing her hungrily.

"Carls…" Sam whispered into the soft flesh of her neck. "I know it's a little late for this, but shouldn't we get out of these clothes?"

Carly could only moan in response. Sam coaxed Carly up, hooking her thumbs into her purple Cuttlefish t-shirt.

"Sam… I…" Sleep had begun to take Carly Shay once more.

Sam pressed a solitary finger to Carly's lips.

"Shhh, Cupcake. Mama's here..."

Carly let the world go hazy once again. She was safe in Sam Puckett's arms. She'd never imagined that this would happen, but she didn't care anymore. This felt good. This felt _right_. Boys never felt right. Boys never made Carly feel five million shades of wonderful or made every tiny hair on her body stand on end. This warm, ooey-gooey feeling was the sole domain of Sam Puckett. She allowed her eyes to fall shut again. The last thing Carly heard was Sam Puckett's voice.

"Sam loves you, Carlotta…"


	3. iReach Out

**iReach Out**

It had been a week since Carly and Sam had started dating and already Sam Puckett knew that she was in this for the long haul. How could she not be? This was Carly. _Carly Shay_. How could anyone else be right for her?

Sam sat in the far corner of the Skybucks coffeehouse a block and a half from Bushwell Plaza, sipping an overpriced cappuccino and fumbling for her cell phone. She scrolled through her list of recent calls and dialed the most recent call not from her Cupcake. It connected and was answered on the second ring.

"…_Good Morning, Samantha…"_

Sam was, as usual, very direct. She didn't mince words.

"Mel, look, we need to talk…"

_**ACROSS STATE LINES…**_

Sam Puckett's identical twin sister sat in the A Concourse of Denver International Airport, awaiting her departing flight home to the Emerald City of Seattle. She attempted to be as discreet as was possible. It was never easy to discuss one's sexual preferences, particularly your twin's, at nine-thirty in the morning. She was, of course, very much in public.

"What's the matter, Sam?"

Melanie Puckett could tell that her sister was nervous… or perhaps in juvie. This was a tone she'd heard before, in those phone calls where Sam would subsequently swear her to secrecy.

"Do you need money? I'll call Uncle Carmine…"

"…_I don't need bail, you Nub… I need my sister… I think I'm kinda… in… you know… love…"_

Melanie's mouth gaped slightly. She was happy for her sister, if slightly taken aback.

"You're in… are you sure, Samantha?"

Sam Puckett's nerves were fraying on the other end of the line. It wasn't her intention to abuse her sister and closest confidante, although it simply came out that way.

"…_Well, Holy Chizz, Princess, it's something… YES, I'M SURE!..."_

Melanie wanted to cry, but kept it inside. She knew Sam didn't mean anything by it. Melanie, in truth, was at a loss. She didn't have much experience – certainly none that were applicable to Sam's situation – but she did her best.

"Okay, Sam, Jeez… well, I don't know what to tell you besides _'Be Safe'_…"

A blue streak of obscenities ensued. Sam had completely misunderstood.

"I _meant_ with your heart, Samantha! You're my only sister… I don't want you hurt…"

For all of her twin's faults – of which there were many – Melanie loved Sam more than anything in the world and they would only say so between one another, in their own way. She spoke a childish gibberish that she knew only her sister would understand. It was their thing.

_**MEANWHILE, IN SEATTLE…**_

Sam was careful not to say too much, even to Melanie. Life as Pam Puckett's second-born had taught her to always keep your guard up. Saying goodbye to her sister, Sam's phone began to chirp. She had a text message. It was from Carly. She quickly replied.

* * *

**TO : Carls**

_Fat Cakes. There soon. I luv U, Cupcake._

* * *

Something was eating at Sam, though it could simply have been a mix of sugar and bad cappuccino. She knew that she'd left something unsaid, and she found it distasteful. She fired off another text message.

* * *

**TO : Mel**

_Sorry for being such a stub rag. I know you were tryin' to help._

* * *

Within a minute, Sam got another text message. Even minus the header, the sender was apparent, given the tone.

* * *

**NEW MESSAGE**

**FROM : Mel**

**Sent: 9:39 AM, PST**

_Kiss, Kiss... I love my sis! ~ M_

* * *

Sam rolled her eyes. The relationship she had with her sister was beyond _Love – Hate_. The sisters had a _Love – Hate – Indifference_ relationship, complicated by the baggage of their dysfunctional childhood. Sam would always blame Melanie for getting all the breaks, the scholarship, the private school, the uncomplicated life.

She grumbled quietly to herself, punched a few buttons on her phone's keypad, and headed for the door.

_**A SHORT WHILE LATER, AT BUSHWELL…**_

Sam's voice broke Carly's absentminded daydream.

"I… I… uh…" Carly stammered.

"Love. Me. You love me, Carls."

Carly laughed. That laugh was an elixir to Sam's soul. She wrapped Carly into a suffocating bear hug.

"Anything you want, Cupcake."

"I'm scared, Sam…" her lip quivered.

There was no room for talk like this in the Puckett household. Fear had no place in Carly's world, especially if Sam had anything to say about it.

"Sam, you don't understand. My fath—… uh, The Colonel is not a nice man. He's cruel, Sam… "

Sam laid her finger across Carly's lips.

"Hush, Cupcake… None of that…"

Sam pulled back, allowing Carly to speak.

"But…"

Sam stroked Carly's hair. It was _so _soft. She wanted Carly to understand.

"Who am I, Carls?"

"Sam."

"Whose Sam?"

"My Sam…" Carly said, suddenly flushed with embarrassment. She stared down at her toes. Sam grinned. Carly was so cute when she was anxious.

"And you are?"

"Sam's Cupcake…"

Sam stared deep into Carly's warm, inviting chocolate eyes, loving them all the more. She spoke coldly, matter-of-factly. Carly needed to understand.

"I will always protect you, Carls. You're too important. Now, Upsy Daisy, Cupcake…"

Sam slid her hand down Carly's back, over her butt, and behind her knees. It was her responsibility to protect Carly every minute of every day. She didn't give a damn about Carly's dad, his military buddies, or whatever holy hell Colonel Shay wanted to bring down on her head. What didn't kill you made you stronger – gave you the fuel you needed for the fire – and if Pam's boozing and outbursts couldn't kill that spark in her chest, she'd be goddamned if her girlfriend's daddy would break her.

The couple crossed the room in stride; Sam laying Carly down in the center of the bed. She didn't even bother with the blankets. Sam took them by the fistful and pulled. Nothing mattered anymore.

"Shhh, Cupcake… Sam's here… It's just you and me…"

Sam Puckett wasn't happy. She wasn't nervous. She was simply contented. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen. The one thing she knew for certain, however, was that nothing would happen to Carly. If it was War that the Colonel wanted, Sam Puckett would bring it.


	4. iDraw A Line in the Sand

**iDraw a Line in the Sand**

Sam Puckett was in heaven. Even lost in a dream, in the nowhere land between _'sleep'_ and _'awake'_, she loved Carly. She felt Carly's plump, full lips making absentminded kisses against her naked shoulder. They were safely locked away in Carly's bedroom – the studio above them, the main floor below – and, for a second, it felt as though the world had stopped turning. It felt as though Carly Shay and Sam Puckett had ceased to be and, in their place, Cam had simply come to be.

Carly wrapped her arms around Sam's naked torso, hanging on for dear life.

"I love you." Carly whispered. Half awake, she shut her eyes again, knowing full well that this joy would be short-lived. Sam's only response was a weak moan, half of arousal, half of exhaustion. Carly squirmed next to her, attempting to close the gap between her and Sam down to absolute zero.

"I love you, Sam. God, do I love you…"

Carly could hear desperation in her own voice, as if this were all a dream she was afraid might evaporate before her eyes.

"I love you, Sam…" Carly repeated.

Every time she said the words, she felt stronger.

"I love you. I love you. I love you…"

"Cupcake…"

Sam was drunk on the smells and softness that belonged to Carly Shay. She fought in her sleep, tossing and turning until she was nose to nose with the pretty brunette. Carly gently kissed the tip of Sam's nose, causing her to stir and her eyes to flutter.

"Morning, Cupcake…" Sam yawned. She could tell from Carly's queasy expression that the prospect of seeing her father was crushing her.

The brunette spoke.

"Sam, look… about today…"

Sam cut her off. She wasn't about to listen to this. It was completely unacceptable, so she wasn't about to let Carly go there.

"Look, Carls, I told you… I'm down… Mama got this. This ain't no thing…"

Carly didn't know what to say. She knew and understood the words that had come out of Sam's mouth, but the fact remained that Sam didn't know the whole truth – she had never seen The Colonel out of uniform – behind closed doors – as Carly and Spencer had. She'd learned early on that all people wore masks, showing the world the face they wanted to put forward, while concealing who they truly were. Carly knew that Colonel Steven Shay was simply the role he played. She knew that her father was the alcoholic, abusive, screamer who broke things – like Carly's gummy bear bank when she was six… or her mother's spirit.

Carly fell forward into Sam Puckett's arms and began to sob. The blonde did her best to absorb the hurt now seeping out of Carly's pores. Sam knew a little bit about pain. She knew what to do, but it had never cut this close to home before. Typically, it was her own pain, which she could simply bury deep down in 'the basement' – that deep, dark, black, place beyond the pit of your stomach where your emotions went when you couldn't deal. Unlike Carly, Sam was a fighter. She could throw things down into the abyss until she needed to use them to fuel the fire to keep her going. She held Carly close, gently kissing away her tears. Whatever Carly needed, Sam would provide. Whatever hellfire Colonel Shay wanted to bring down on his daughter's head for the sin of being who she was, Carly wouldn't face it alone. If anyone knew what darkness was like, it was Sam Puckett. It was where she'd been raised, lived, and learned to make her own way. She was operating from a position of strength. She gently kissed the wetness away from Carly's eyes and cheeks. They would get through this together.

_**A SHORT TIME LATER…**_

Sam sat on the Shay sofa, looking remarkably cleaned up. Her fingers danced gently inside Carly's palm. She glanced from Carly to Spencer to the tall black man Carly called 'Uncle Roger'. This made her sick. How a man like this could have brought people as harmless as Spencer and has beautiful as Carly into the world escaped Sam. She fought an urge to go berserk. She couldn't lose her cool. This was for Carly.

"_OH WHAT FRESH HELL IS THIS? You expect me to sit here and accept what you've done with your life? You want to be with… HER?!"_

Sam wanted to yank his tongue out of his mouth. No one – _No one_ – talked to Carly this way. Every muscle in Sam's body constricted. Her initial instinct was to lash out, like a cobra, and sink her fangs into him, but then it happened.

Carly had had enough. Her father had the gall to inject Carly's late mother into the equation. Sam's stomach turned. That was a kick in the shorts that no one deserved. Sam remembered Carly's mom. She understood why Carly put her on a pedestal.

She heard the word _'bitch'_. The Colonel looked as though he was about to hit Carly. Sam was more than ready to absorb the blows herself – childhood had prepared her for that – when she heard a sound that she knew all too well as the snapping, dislocation, and disarticulation of human bone and cartilage. It had become a soldier-on-soldier battle of wills, with Carly's adoptive Uncle Roger winning the moment. Colonel Shay lay on the floor, clearly in pain. Sam saw, because she knew what to look for. From her vantage point, there was very clearly fresh blood pooling around the wound, but she couldn't be bothered to feel one way or the other about it. Carly was all that mattered.

Her sweet little brunette made brief conversation with the tall, lean, black Air Force officer, professing her continuing love for him. She pretended not to hear. It wasn't her place. There were some things that simply needed to be about Carls.

She felt Carls give her hand a firm squeeze and then watched Carly – with singular focus – break for the door. Sam knew she had to follow, and she knew exactly what she shouldn't do. She knew it was cruel. She knew it was beneath her. Her little _Mythical Melanie_ of a conscience was tweeting away inside her head not to, but knowing right from wrong didn't matter anymore. Carly Shay changed all the rules.

Following Carly like an obedient puppy, Sam delivered a well placed kick to Steven Shay's ribcage. Though she hoped Carly hadn't heard, Sam took sadistic satisfaction in the dual _pop-snap_ that told her she had at least cracked, if not broken, two of the Colonel's ribs.

"You pathetic bastard…" she hissed, deliberately stepping over him, following Carly out the door. Her fingers locked loosely in Carly's as they crossed the threshold. This was all about them. What went on after they left 8-C was none of her concern.


	5. iDetention

**iDetention**

It was barely eight o'clock in the morning. Sam Puckett was holding down her typical detention desk – the absolute far back corner, against the wall – as she grumbled to herself.

"…_Stupid fucking detention… stupid bigoted jackass callin' my Cupcake a… that word... Stupid Briggs…"_

Sam was correct on two of the three counts, at any rate. Scott Schroeder was certainly a bigoted jackass for hurling such a slur at Carly Shay, as well as clearly being stupid enough to do so within earshot of Sam Puckett. Sam had made such a spirited, impassioned, surprisingly rational argument in her defense that Ted Franklin stepped in and gave up his Saturday morning to supervise detention himself, depriving Francine Briggs of whatever joy she had in her weekend. The truth was that beyond the soft spot he had in his heart for Carly Shay and her friends, he believed there was no such thing as _gay rights_. It was simply a civil rights, human rights issue. No one would be walked on, belittled, or marginalized in _His School_ simply based on who they were as people.

Sam glared across the room at the victim of her beating. She took a perverse pride in the fact that she'd fractured his nose and given him a serious case of Raccoon Eyes. She wasn't heartless, but she knew, in her heart of hearts, that she had done what was justified. Her mind flashed back to her childhood and the man that her mother had let get away. He was a good man, a preacher. He had treated Pam Puckett's little girls as though they were his own, and the girls adored him. In Sam's mind's eye, she remembered being four or five years old, this man telling the twins that there were times when you simply had to protect those you cared about at all costs and that no one could ever judge you for it. It was an oversimplification for the benefit of small children, but it was something Sam Puckett took to heart and would never forget.

Some kid three seats away dropped a pen, waking Sam from her hazy daydream. She wanted to whip a pencil at his head, but figured that detention wasn't the best place to get into any more trouble. She whipped out her cell phone instead and began texting.

* * *

**TO : Mel**

_Sup, Princess? Stuck in this damn detention… I just… whatever… Call me._

* * *

This was big for Sam. She knew what she was saying, even though not in so many words. Moreover, she knew that her sister would know. She and Melanie, though they hadn't always gotten along like people expected twin sisters to, were always close. This was a secret that Sam kept from nearly everybody, specifically her mother and Carly. The truth of the matter was that, though separated by significant distance, the Puckett twins talked nightly for hours at a time. During these conversations, Sam Puckett could allow her badass, tough-as-nails façade fall away and be the sister Melanie remembered, saying the things that Sam Puckett would never allow herself to admit publicly.

The tiny red LED on Sam's PearPhone blinked silently. She had a new message.

* * *

**NEW MESSAGE**

**FROM: Mel**

**Sent: 9:12 AM, PST**

_I love you too. Just picked up your little GF. Going Shopping. ~ M_

* * *

Sam couldn't believe her eyes. Her sister had just referred to Carly as Sam's girlfriend – in a text, no less. You didn't text something unless it was some serious chizz. Her fingers began working the keys.

* * *

**TO : Mel**

_WTF?_

* * *

That should solve things. No need to beat around the bush. She wanted to get right to the point.

Moments later, the phone blinked again.

* * *

**FROM: Mel**

_Oh come off it, Samantha! It's like the worst kept secret in the world… I'm not homophobic. Relax._

* * *

Sam chuckled quietly to herself. That sounded like her sister. The Sam Puckett that Carly knew and the one Melanie had grown up with were different people. It was all about self-protection.

_**AFTER DETENTION, AT BUSHWELL PLAZA…**_

Sam exited the elevator on Carly's floor. She didn't have a key, but she didn't need one. She made her way to Carly's door, bent down in full view of the hallway, as though she were tying her shoe. She, in fact, was removing the lock pick set Uncle Carmine had given her for her last birthday from her sock. Picking Carly's lock was so easy. She'd have to convince the Cupcake to just give her a key already, since Uncle Carmine's little birthday gift could well send her back to juvie.

The tumblers clicked and she let herself in, shutting Carly's door behind her. She crossed the living room and headed directly into the kitchen, whipping open the fridge as though she lived there. Root Beer was the order of the day. She selected a frosty bottle, returned to the living room and crashed on Carly's sofa. It had been one of those mornings.

_**A SAM PUCKETT CAT NAP LATER…**_

Spencer Shay thought it was funny that his key didn't catch in the lock. He turned the knob, only to find that his door yawned wide open. Sam had neglected to lock the door behind her. It was a rookie cat burglar mistake. Thankfully for the Shay family, she had no intention of stealing anything, except, perhaps a kiss from Carly later that evening. Spencer returned from _Hey Food_ to find a familiar blonde passed out on the sofa, shoes and socks missing, jeans half open, contorted into a sleepy, snoring mess.

"Sam! I thought you had detention…"

Sam woke up with a start, surly as a hibernating grizzly.

"What the chizz, Dude? Can't Mama crash on the couch once in a while?"

Spencer shot Sam a confused look. She was obviously delusional.

"Once in a while? Sure… Everyday? Well…. yeah, I suppose that's okay too, Kid… Anyway, what gives?"

Sam grumbled something in yawn-talk that Spencer didn't quite catch. All he could do was smile.

"So, how was detention?"

She wouldn't even dignify that with a comment. She simply flung the plastic root beer bottle at Spencer, knocking him square in the forehead, rolled over, and went back to sleep.


	6. iGallery Night

**iGallery Night**

Sam Puckett croaked. She was hoarse, her throat red and inflamed.

"Carls?..."

Carly Shay gingerly touched the blonde's naked back. She wanted her to relax.

"Shhhh… it's okay…"

Carly knew very well that Sam had been having a nightmare – The Nightmare, most likely. There was only one thing in the world that got Samantha Puckett this whipped up. Just as Carly thought, it _had_ been the nightmare of the Soup Monster that had tormented Sam to the point of awakening.

"…Melanie… Soup Monster… fuck… fucking… Soup Monster…"

Carly hated it when Sam cursed, but it truly didn't happen all that often, so when it did, there was a point to it. She touched Sam's bare back. Thanks to the adrenaline now surging through her body, it was wet with beads of sweat. It was an instinctive, animalistic response to perceived danger.

Sam continued to babble, fraught with the mania that the Soup Monster brought on. It was all her brain would allow. She knew that Carly cared, but she wished her sweet, precious Cupcake could understand.

"…Melanie… Soup… goddamn Soup Monster…"

She felt Carly Shay's slender fingers on her bare back, holding her, touching her gently, doing everything she could to help her relax.

"Shhh… it's just a bad, bad dream, Sam… I'm right here… The Soup Monster's not real… and besides, Melanie doesn't even like that kind of soup, so that's how you know it wasn't real…"

Sam relaxed, breathing deeply, allowing her system to reset itself. There was something to be said for Carly Shay's touch. She didn't understand it, but she hadn't felt this way since she was a little girl, when she and Melanie used to cuddle close together beneath the covers. It was just at that moment – when Sam had completely settled in – that Carly's demeanor changed.

"Now… time to get up, Sleepyhead!"

The brunette abruptly yanked away the bed covers, exposing both of their partially nude bodies to the morning air. A moment later, Carly had bolted from the bed and dashed off towards her bathroom. Logically, Sam understood, but her brain was still locked in _'irrational'_ mode. Sam's rational, logical mind knew that Carly adored her and that all was perfectly well, but her own deeply rooted paranoia told her that Carly wanted to rid herself of the broken, imperfect, irrational blonde now mostly naked in her bed. Sam rocked forward to self-soothe, arms wrapped around her knees.

"…So goddamn stupid, Puckett… You're being so damn stupid…" Sam cursed herself. Maybe Pam had been right all along. Perhaps she would've been better off if she were more like Mythical Melanie.

Carly finally reappeared from the bathroom, clad in a dark blue bathrobe, cheery as ever.

"Good Morning!..."

A broad smile broke across Sam's face. She had never been happier to be wrong.

_**A SHORT TIME LATER…**_

Sam knew Carly was checking out her backside as she headed for the bathroom to change. It felt slightly weird to her, in that she was essentially spending the day dressed like a dude – not that she was the girly one to begin with – that was always Carly, but this seemed a bit overkill, but if it is what was required, she'd do it, all to make her Cupcake happy.

She knew that helping Spencer at this gallery showing would not only cut hours off of her community service and her last stretch in juvie, but, more importantly, it helped out Spence and made her Cupcake happy. Sam would do anything to make Carly happy.

Sam stared at herself in Carly's bathroom mirror. Here she was, surrounded by the girliness that was Carly Shay, yet Sam herself looked so incredibly butch. She herself thought she looked kinda hot, but butch.

"… _What the hell Carls sees in me, I don't know, but I gotta admit, I look pretty good if I do say so myself…"_ Sam thought. She readjusted her tie one final time before clicking off the light and returning to the real world.

_**HOURS LATER…**_

Sam paced the halls of the _Atlantis_ gallery, anxious. The place was alright, and the spread that was set out was phenomenal. She paced the floor, nervously fingering her cell phone, mumbling to herself.

"…_Miss my Cupcake... Dammit…"_

Sam, still dressed impeccably, sauntered up to Spencer, who was talking shop with Harry Joyner, and yanked him by the arm.

"Yo, Spence, how much longer are we gonna be? I've got…"

Sam paused, catching herself before continuing.

"…ya know, somewhere ta be…"

Spencer was something of an Idiot Man-Child, but even he realized what Sam was playing at. He stopped Joyner in mid-sentence, trying his hardest to be a refined, serious artist, completely unphased by the gallery experience. It didn't work.

"It's cool, Kiddo… I've gotta be here for a while still, but you can head back to my place if you want."

Sam shrugged. She figured she'd call in a favor. She whipped out her phone and texted the first person who popped into her head.

* * *

**TO: Mel**

_Yo Princess, I'm cuttin' out. Pick me up?_

* * *

Sam paced the floor, awaiting an answer. Her phone pinged.

* * *

**NEW MESSAGE**

**FROM: Mel**

**Sent: 7:50 PM, PST**

_Can't Sam. Have to take Mom to her meeting. Maybe call a cab? I'll pay you back ~ M_

* * *

Sam was pissed. How dare Pam have issues? How dare The Princess drop everything for their mother? She scrolled through her phone and found the number for Emerald City Cab. She gave them a call. It helped that Uncle Carmine had quietly taken control of the company last year. She'd have a ride within the next few minutes.

_**MOMENTS LATER…**_

Sam decided to text Carly.

* * *

**TO: Carls**

_Leaving soon. Spencer has to stay, but told me to cab it home. Half hour, tops. XOXO – Mama_

* * *

Sam shoved her phone back into her pocket and quietly left the gallery. She knew it'd be a bit of a wait, but she didn't care. She needed to be back at home. She missed Carly more than words.


	7. iFall in Love

**iFall in Love**

The elevator yawned and deposited a very overdressed Sam Puckett into a dark living room.

"Carls? Carls! Carly!" she called. No answer. She began to get concerned. She mounted the stairs and called out again.

"Carls!"

This had her worried. Sam Puckett's love-addled brain kept her from seeing the forest for the trees.

Reaching the landing, Sam could see the door to Carly's room was wide open. She stood in the doorway in utter amazement when she heard Carly's voice.

_"Hey, Stranger…" _

It was a tone Carly had never taken with her before. The tone was sultry, even sexual, and, coupled with what she saw before her, it nearly caused the blonde's heart to seize up inside her check. Sam cursed inside her head.

"…_Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…"_

Sam felt herself begin to sweat from every orifice possible. Sure, this moment had happened a thousand times before, but each of those was inside one of Sam's daydreams. In each of those, she knew Carly to be the unattainable straight girl, the object of Sam's desires since before she knew that there was a name for her condition, the reason she was unlike other girls. Sam had never really given it much thought before – why she was the way that she was. It was always just _who she was._ She was Pam's second-born, entering the world in the back of a Seattle city bus a full minute after Melanie. She was a juvenile delinquent. She liked women. She knew that she was _different_ – whatever that word was for it – the day that she'd tried to swipe Carly Shay's tuna sandwich back when they were eight.

Sam had subsequently learned the name for what she was – why she couldn't be more like Melanie, despite all of her mother's drunken insistence. She knew one thing and one thing only. She knew that she was truly, madly, deeply in love with her best and only friend in the entire world. She knew that she could never speak of it, lest Carly feel differently. The loss of Carly Shay would be like the loss of clean, breathable air.

None of that mattered anymore. Sam Puckett had learned that Carly, in fact, loved as she did. Carly Shay had loved Sam, though never acknowledged it openly, since they were small children.

Sam heard Carly talking and saw her lips moving. The words, however, were not Carly's. Sam figured that this was what paralysis had to be like. Words like this belonged in some movie on the restricted channel, not coming out of the mouth of her pretty little Cupcake.

"_Don't just stand there, Stud… c'mon in here…"_

Still nothing. Sam's brain was preoccupied with the music she heard inside the doorway. The blonde entered the room without thinking about it. She sought Carly out in the low light, following only her baser instincts. All Sam knew for sure what that she and Carly needed to be together.

"_Sam, this is all for you… Dance with me?"_

Sam didn't need to be asked twice. She swept Carly into her arms, holding her as close as she'd wanted to for years. As much as she wanted to speak, with everything she wanted to say at this exact moment, words failed her. Carly blushed, embarrassed, in Sam Puckett's arms. She felt lost. This was all so new to her.

"I hope you're not mad at me. We've always said _'No Secrets'_."

The look on Sam's face clearly put that matter to rest. There would be no need for apologies tonight.

The song ended, and the room began to spin. The voice in Carly's head began lecturing, a mile a minute. Until tonight, Carlotta Taylor Shay had only dated those of the male persuasion. Until tonight, something had always been missing. Instinctively, Carly knew that Samantha Puckett was the missing piece of her heart. The fact that she may or may not be wearing men's cologne was immaterial. The fact that her best friend in the world was dressed up like a Briarwood boy both confused and excited Carly. She knew that it didn't matter, but it was all part of the game that they'd play tonight. She rested her head against Sam's shoulder as they swayed together, in time with the music.

"_...Sam smells SO good… What IS that smell?..."_

The brunette put the thoughts out of her mind, however briefly. Sam, however, found herself getting lost studying the lines of the brunette's face.

"Carls, this was _totally _unnecessary… but thank you. A thousand times, thank you._"_

Sam felt emboldened. She loved Carly just as she was. She snaked her hand around the slight brunette's back. She loved the simple feeling of her fingers against Carly. She couldn't believe that her sweet little Cupcake had done all of this. There was a table, napkins, and food Sam hoped tasted as good as it smelled – all right there, in the middle of Carly's bedroom. They danced to the music, staying close. Sam's brain was swimming with thoughts of her two favorite things – Carly Shay and food – when she finally went all gooey inside. Sam Puckett, Seattle's resident badass, didn't truly exist. Up to now, only Mythical Melanie knew that Sam was truly a daffodil at heart. Sam knew what she could be. She knew what she _wanted_ to be. Carly Shay brought out the absolute best in her. Where Carly was concerned, Sam wanted to be the soft, sweet, delicate little daffodil.

Sam was lost in Carly's eyes. The deep chocolate brown orbs had always exerted a hypnotic pull, so far as Sam was concerned. She knew that it was wrong and that she shouldn't, but Carly caused all thought to go directly out of Sam's head. She had tunnel vision. So far as Sam was concerned, not even the food mattered, as wonderful as it no doubt was, with all of its B.F. Wang's spicy goodness. Carls had obviously paid attention. This was Sam's ideal dinner.

"I love you, Cupcake…"

Carly, like Sam, was lost in her partner's eyes and the sheer joy she felt there. She was completely oblivious until she felt a slight chill. It was only then that she realized that Sam was one over-eager beaver. With all the stealth of an invisible ninja, Sam had unzipped Carly's pretty red dress, which had now fallen to the floor around Carly's ankles.

"_Sam!_…" Carly paused.

"Relax, Carls…. and trust me..."


	8. iKnow You're The One

**iKnow You're The One**

Trust was not the issue. Sam knew that Carly trusted her completely – with all that she had. She could sense Carly's apprehension. She knew very well that her Cupcake had to be ungodly nervous, and she'd forced the issue.

Carly kissed her one last time, sucking Sam's lower lip ever so slightly. She could feel Carly push her away, but gently. It was Carly saying _'Not now'_ instead of _'Get away from me'_. Sam knew she could live with that. She knew she'd pushed the issue, but Carls didn't seem too upset. Her fingers were gently dancing in Sam's. She knew this was a good sign. Carly took her by the hand and led her to the table she'd set up, with their dinner waiting for them, steaming.

Sam felt incredibly self-conscious. She didn't want to lose Carly before things – whatever _'this'_ was – got started. She stuttered.

"C-C-Carls…I…"

The brunette wanted none of it. It was water under the bridge, nothing more. Sam had gotten overly anxious and simply jumped the gun.

"_Sam… stop…_" Carly fussed. She didn't want to hear it anymore. She wanted Sam to shut up.

"Carls…"

"_Hush… _You were excited, that's all… forgiven, forgotten… now, just sit down and relax, okay?"

Sam Puckett sunk in her chair. Finally accepting the realization that Carly was not angry with her, the weight of the world lifted from her shoulders. She could finally relax.

Carly Shay knew Sam Puckett nearly as well as she knew herself. She knew that her crazy, impulsive, amazing, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, meat-loving best friend was a creature of habit. Carly had thought of everything. If Sam was going to drink anything with dinner tonight, Carly knew that it would be a root beer. Carly had anticipated this and Sam's beverage was chilled and waiting for her. The blonde lifted the glass bottle, toasting Carly's thoughtfulness.

"Carls, this is…wow…How did you…?"

The precious brunette rolled her eyes. Sam should try using some common sense for a change.

"Had a little help, now, _EAT_!"

Sam finally felt comfortable. She was ravenous. Carly chuckled. Sam was absolutely precious. Carly found her adorable, bad manners and all. The blonde chewed and spoke, not bothering to swallow in-between.

For Carly, this was simply Typical Sam. She chuckled, watching the blonde, ever the mighty hunter; stalk B.F. Wang's Kung Pao Beef around her plate, forking them to death.

Sam had zoned out for a moment, until she'd realized Carly had been talking to her.

"I love you, Sam, but you're just _so damn butch_, sometimes…"

Sam considered Carly's observation for a long moment, and then shrugged it off. Her Cupcake was, of course, correct. It wasn't Sam's outright intention, of course, but it was simply what she knew. She flashed Carly her typical slick smile, showing her the trademark Puckett smart mouth.

"Bite me, Carls…"

Carly's deep chocolate brown eyes went wide.

"Oooh, you promise?"

"Watch it, Shay…"

In this moment, Sam knew that she was falling in love – and hard – with Carly Shay. She was, only now, experiencing the side of her friend's personality – naughty, sassy, devil-may-care part of herself that Carls was just now letting out to play. It became obvious almost immediately that everything Sam found attractive in Carly were qualities she herself possessed. In a very real way, Sam Puckett, in a manner of speaking, was falling in love _with herself_.

Her brain had again become unhinged, lost in the moment, until the moment that she was almost stabbed. Carly's fork was floating its way across the table toward Sam Puckett's lips.

"Chicken?"

Sam felt the breath hitch in her chest. She had suddenly come down with a case of the jitters, at least internally. This was, by far, the closest thing to legitimate intimacy that she had ever experienced. She was being fed. _Fed by Carly Shay_. She leaned in, careful to avoid her own plate, as Carly gracefully placed her fork into her mouth. She smiled as she chewed. This was amazing. She was having a romantic dinner for two with the one person who mattered to her in the whole world. What had she ever done to deserve this?

_**A SHORT TIME LATER…**_

Sam's head was in the clouds. She had no earthly idea how any of this was actually happening. She knew by now that she had to be grinning like a Cheshire cat. She'd decided that she was no longer hungry. Carly Shay was suddenly far more interesting than food. Her fork fell to her plate, landing in beef gravy with a subdued splat. She pushed herself back from the table and ran to Carly, who was now standing at the foot of the bed.

"Sam, I just… the words are in my head, but they just won't come out..."

Sam chuckled. Carly was just too much sometimes. The brunette did weird, weird things to her brain. Lacking any better option, Sam chose to indulge the one option presented to her. In a fit of rashness, she kissed Carly Shay fully on the mouth.

"Mmmm…. Tastes like chicken."

Carly laughed.

"Carls, whatever I'm wearing, it doesn't matter. I'm still me." She brushed a strand of hair from Carly's face. "Besides, I've always worn the pants in this relationship anyway…"

For what seemed like the millionth time in the past hour, Carly Shay stifled a laugh. Sam was going insane. Carly was being incredibly sweet. She'd stuck her tongue out, behaving very much like a spoiled little child. She wanted what she wanted and would pout until it was given to her.

"Don't tempt me, Little Girl…" Sam said smugly. She was intent on getting a rise out of her little brunette _by any means necessary_.

"Oh no, big, bad Sam Puckett says Carly's a _tease_…"

Carly's voice was sing-song. She knew exactly what she was doing. She _had_ been scared earlier, afraid of what it meant if she liked this masculine side of Sam. Now, it was nothing more than a means to an end. She wanted what she wanted, nothing more or less.

Sam shot her a look, her blue eyes locked on Carly's.

Carly raised one eyebrow, daring Sam. The soft chocolate brown windows into Carly's soul seemed to say _"Go ahead, I dare you, I know you want to…"_

For Sam, it was as though she was a circling shark, having just sensed blood in the water. All logic went out the window. She was now simply reacting on a basal, fundamentally animal level. Carly Shay was what she wanted, Sam Puckett only needed to pounce. Her teeth grazed the soft flesh of Carly's neck in a kiss gone passionately awry. She knew that Carly was her one and only.


End file.
